According to The Athletic’s David Ornstein, Mikel Arteta has been given the green light to sign Pablo Mari permanently in the summer. The Arsenal manager has identified the Spaniard as the ideal target instead of Reims defender Axel Disasi and is ready to make his loan move permanent for a fee of £10 million.
How has Mari performed at Arsenal so far?
Mari joined Arsenal in January, in a short term loan from Flamengo. However, he experienced a slow start to his career at the Emirates – one that was marred by a few fitness problems. He did eventually start by featuring in the reserve team before making his Arsenal debut in early March, against Portsmouth in the FA Cup.
During his debut, Mari impressed the onlookers with his crisp passing and fearless tackling. He also looked confident and cleared out numerous loose balls. As a result, the Spaniard was given a start in the next game against West Ham United in the Premier League.
Mari performed well against the Hammers too. He built a formidable partnership with David Luiz, ultimately helping Arsenal secure a narrow 1-0 win over their London rivals. And that was the last match the Gunners had played before the season got suspended due to the Coronavirus.
Can Mari establish himself at Arsenal next season?
Mari has already raised a lot of eyebrows with his impressive performances in the last two matches. However, the 26-year-old will face much tougher challenges going ahead, especially if he gets retained by Arsenal. After all, we are yet to witness how the defender performs under pressure, against a top tier opponent like Liverpool or Manchester City.
At the same time, Shkodran Mustafi has performed reasonably since the turn of the year and will make a strong case for becoming an automatic starter for Arsenal next season. That means Mari will have to compete with the likes of Luiz, Sokratis and William Saliba, making it significantly difficult for the Spaniard to establish himself as a first-team regular at Emirates next season.
Is Mari a better option than Disasi?
Given the current state of the market and the financial toll inflicted by the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, Arsenal simply cannot take any risks by signing a young individual like Disasi. Especially in the defensive department, the Gunners already have a talented centre-back in Saliba.
Mari, in that regard, is undoubtedly a better option than Disasi, thanks to the Spaniard’s experience at the highest level of football. He has already remained at the club for four months, meaning he is more likely to settle in. And for a reported fee of just £10 million, Mari could be a clever piece of investment for the Gunners.
